Even though I think of myself as a fairly practical person, I love receiving flower bouquets. I tell myself they are impractical, expensive, that the joy is fleeting-- and within a week petals will begin to fall on the table. That if I want flowers, I should plant bulbs in the ground, or select a nice rose bush and get out my shovel and garden gloves . . . and I suppose that's all true. But I don't care. I love receiving flower bouquets. Because of the way it makes me feel: like a teenager going to Prom, someone's blushing sweetheart, a bride heading down the aisle, a new mother . . . a Valentine. And, since we are approaching Valentine's Day, I thought I'd offer a romantic little snippet from CRITICAL CARE.
It includes a bouquet of flowers. The scene comes as nurse educator Claire Avery finishes a long shift and walks across the Sierra Mercy parking lot . . . to find a surprise.
Tomorrow was her day off. She’d get up early, take a long run, maybe go to the pet store and find a consolation toy for Smokey after his raccoon scare. Claire stopped as she arrived at the SUV. What on earth?
She walked around to the front and lifted a cellophane-wrapped bouquet from the hood. Her breath caught. Daffodils? Before she could move, she heard Logan’s voice.
“Hi, Educator.”
She turned and saw him smile, the fading sunlight casting rosy warmth to his features much the same way the fire embers had that night on her deck.
Logan looked at the bouquet and then at her face, shrugging. “I was at the Jeep store. It’s next door to this flower shop. And when I saw those, they made me think of you, so . . .” His brows scrunched. “That’s not true.”
He took a step closer, and once more Claire was aware of his height, the effect he had on her breathing, and . . . Logan sighed. His expression seemed vulnerable, his eyes sincere. “The truth is I went looking for those daffodils because I’ve been thinking about you all day. I have another day off tomorrow, and I want to spend it with you. Would that be okay?”
Claire looked down at the blooms tied with a ribbon and wrapped in paper and thought of Erin’s words, the way she’d tapped her fingers over her heart. Simple, heartfelt.
“Yes.” She smiled. “I think that would be very okay.”
Simple, heartfelt. And a promise of good things to come. No shovel or garden gloves involved. Works for me.
Happy Valentine's Day!
4 comments:
Sigh. And they are one of my favorite colors of flowers! My bridesmaids carried yellow roses in my wedding, and I had some sprinkled among my white roses.
You just keep dangling that carrot in front of us with these snippets!
I'm glad I made you sigh. :-)
The biggest reason for my "carrot snips" is that I'm so very eager to share this with you all.
Happy Valentine's Day, Linda!
Oh my gosh! You are a helpless romantic, aren't you? I love that! You do know, don't you, that Logan is going to be every woman's heartthrob when this book comes out? Woo hoo!
Welcome, Colleen!
Yes, I am a romantic--and love that I can offer Logan (aka "McSnarly")as an enticing part of this book's encouraging message of hope. There are good guys out there! :-)
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